Casa Subtração is situated in the upscale residential neighborhood of Quinta da Baroneza in Bragança Paulista, just 90 kilometers from São Paulo. This home was designed for a couple and their teenage son and is strategically positioned on a square plot that takes full advantage of the gently sloping terrain to offer expansive views.
FGMF architects approached the site by excavating the central ground area to preserve visual openness. This excavation allowed them to create an underground level featuring illuminated courtyards, garages, and gardens, while elevating the main living spaces to ground level.
In this project, the architects deliberately challenged the conventional São Paulo architectural logic they were trained in, which treats structural elements as space creators. They adopted an unusual approach for FGMF: starting with the conceptual idea of two elevated exposed concrete planes covering the entire allowable footprint, fully respecting setback and zoning regulations.
From this framework, they explored various layouts that divided the house into social, private, leisure, and service areas to determine the most effective spatial organization.
Building on the occupation between these planes, the architects experimented with various cuts and openings in both the upper and lower slabs. These create passages for light and air, allowing sidewalks and underground gardens to penetrate the structure, while maintaining the integrity of the original planes. This subtractive approach to architecture is the origin of the house’s name—“Subtraction.”
The structural supports were arranged irregularly, forming a non-Cartesian yet highly effective framework. This complex spatial design allows the interior spaces to blend smoothly with the outdoor terraces and connect intimately with the surrounding natural landscape. The bedrooms and bathrooms, designed as small white volumes nestled between stone slabs, create striking visual contrasts.
By cleverly positioning staggered gaps within the horizontal planes and connecting them with stairways, the design balances the otherwise dominant horizontal emphasis. These openings offer multiple perspectives and encourage visual connections among residents throughout the house.
Local vegetation is integrated within these voids, growing naturally in the living room, pool area, and garage garden spaces, further blending the house with its environment.
FGMF highlights that the main challenge was to reinterpret traditional design concepts with a fresh, unconventional look, resulting in a compact interior paired with expansive exterior spaces.
The house features a cast-in-place reinforced concrete structure with polished concrete floors and white-painted masonry walls, embodying a modern, minimalist aesthetic.
The swimming pool is thoughtfully positioned on the first-floor slab, breaking the otherwise rigid geometry of the building’s plan. Its reflective surface softens the exposed concrete’s harshness, adding a serene element to the environment.
Landscape design is integral to the architecture, seamlessly integrating with the building from the outset and complementing both interior and exterior spaces.
Project Drawings
△ General Layout Plan
△ First Floor Plan
△ Basement Floor Plan
△ Roof Plan
△ Section Diagram
△ Exploded View
△ Sunlight Analysis Diagram
Project Information
Architect: FGMF
Project Year: 2020
Photographers: Israel Gollino & Fran Parente
Lead Architects: Fernando Forte, Lourenço Gimenes, Rodrigo Marcondes Ferraz
Project Coordinator: Sonia Gouveia
Collaborators: Cintia Reis, Daniela Zavagli, Desyree Niedo, Felipe Fernandes, François Caillat, Juliana Cadó, Mariana Lazero, Rafael Saito, Victor Lucena
Intern: Guilherme Braga
Contractor: Z2 Workforce
Structural Engineer: RF Engenharia e Projetos
Landscape Design: Kalil Ferre
Lighting Design: Castilha Iluminação
Interior Design: Giselle Macedo & Patricia Covolo
Location: Bragança Paulista, Brazil
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